


you light me up inside like the fourth of july (whenever you're around i always seem to smile)

by movingforthesakeofmotion



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, anyway enjoy! comments are loved and appreciated, but i figured people might think the whole thing is spanish, i used a becky g song for the title sue me, i was gonna use a spanish song of becky g's for the title, so i decided against it lmao, there's so much spanish in this i'm sorry but like i'm cuban so i'm also not sorry lmao, this is probably only gonna be a few chapters tbh not a long story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-04 01:56:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10979982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/movingforthesakeofmotion/pseuds/movingforthesakeofmotion
Summary: Trini would say it began when she punched Amanda in the face.Kimberly would say it began when a girl flirted with Trini while they were all bowling.Either way, feelings neither of them even knew they had were discovered, which sparks a long journey of self discovery and love between two girls who just so happen to be superheroes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> fic title from "Shower" by Becky G! :D

She’s staring at the cross on the wall in her kitchen, little huffs of annoyance escaping her, because that stupid little T symbol has caused her so much pain in her life, she has half a mind to take it down from the wall and snap it in half.

She doesn’t though, because she’d rather live longer than eighteen years on planet Earth and she’s positive that if she even remotely looks at that cross wrong, her mother will take her slipper off her foot and beat the crap out of her.

Not that it’ll hurt much. Nothing hurts much after you almost die several times trying to save the Universe. 

“Trini. Eat your food.” Her mother chastises, taking a bite out of her mashed potatoes, and Trini forces a smile and continues eating, her appetite all but gone as she stares up at the cross again.

“I’m just thankful these detentions are on a Saturday. There’s no way you’re missing Sunday service, no matter how much you don’t want to go.” Her mother says firmly, cutting her steak a little too firmly so that the knife scratches on the plate loudly. Trini’s eyes move to her father, who looks back and forth between her and her mother.

Trini can feel it coming, and she sighs, preparing herself for an earful.

“Uh, June-.”

“Por qué estás tan loco, huh, Trini? What on Earth compelled you to punch a young girl in the face?” Her mother exclaims, slamming her cutlery down on the table. Trini rolls her eyes and stabs her steak with her fork, avoiding her mother’s gaze completely. 

“Her name is Amanda, and she called my friend a slut, so I defended her.” Trini mumbles, still looking down at her food. 

“Is your friend not capable of defending herself? I’m getting a little sick and tired of you always using your friends for excuses, Trinity Rodriguez! You are a grown woman capable of making her own choices! And if you can’t see that then maybe you shouldn’t hang around these little friends of yours anymore!” Trini winces at the use of her full name, but still doesn’t say anything, and she can feel her mother staring holes into her eye sockets.

“Still nothing! What do I have to do to get you to open up to me, Trini?” Her mother yells. Trini clenches her jaw and bites down on her tongue, but her anger is starting to get the better of her so she ducks her hand under the table and clenches it into a fist, digging her nails into her palm as she forces herself to keep looking at her food.

“Would you just look at me!?” She’s slamming her hands on the table again and Trini jumps, her heart racing as she closes her eyes and wills herself to just breathe, tries to remind herself that she’s not under attack, that the loud bangs are just her mother’s frustration and not Putties or Rita Repulsa trying to kill her-

“June, basta!” Her father yells. 

“Ya no puedo hacer esto! I can’t do this anymore, Alejandro! You’re seeing a therapist!” 

That gets Trini’s attention.

“What?” She snaps, and her mother nods.

“I’m booking you to see a therapist next week, I’m done with this! Maybe they’ll have better luck unscrambling that brain of yours!” She stands, grabbing her plate off the table and taking Trini’s as well.

“I’m not done!” Trini yells.

“This cow did not die for you to just stab it with your fork and not eat it!” Her mother sniffs.

“So throwing it away is better?” Trini growls.

“Go to your room! Now!” Her mother yells. Trini looks at her father, who bows his head with a sigh and says nothing, and she scoffs in disbelief and stands, almost knocking her chair over from the force as she walks to her room in silence.

She slams the door shut behind her as soon as she gets in and before she can stop herself, her fist strikes out and goes right through her cupboard door.

Debris flies everywhere, little bits of wood falling to the ground and Trini glares at her fist through the door for a long time before pulling it out.

The skin is broken, that’s for sure. There’s blood already dripping down her hand as she unclenches her fist and winces at the pain, her hand shaking as a bruise begins to form  
on her knuckles already.

Well, now she has two holes to hide from her mother and father. 

She glares at the hole in her wall from Rita slamming her into it, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in, then jumps when her phone buzzes in her back pocket.

As soon as she seems the name lighting up her screen, she can’t help but grin widely.

_Go Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_  
Kim: Is anyone else feeling really angry all of a sudden?  
JayJay: Yep. Who’s upset?  
BillyBoy: Not me.  
Zacky: Deffs not me! Trini bb, what’s got u mad? :( 

Trini sighs and begins typing out a reply.

_Trin: Mom’s having a meltdown again. It’s nothing. I’ll get over it. Sorry._

She watches as the others icons fall down to say they’ve read her message, then watches with a chuckle as all of them begin typing.

_Zacky: Did she swear at u in Spanish? I luv when ur mom swears at u in Spanish, did u record it?_  
JayJay: Shut up, Zack. We’re here for you, Trin.  
Billy: What Jason said.  
Kim: If you need to get away, you’re welcome to come over tonight. My window’s always open.  <3 

Trini stares at the little heart for a little longer than necessary before sighing.

_Trin: Thanks guys.  
Zacky: Luv u!!!!_

Trini collapses onto her bed and throws her phone to the side, staring up at the ceiling with frustration before her phone buzzes again.

_Kimberly Hart (1).  
Seriously, my window’s open. If you need me, I’m here for you._

Trini stares at the message for a long time, wondering why Kimberly’s decided to message her privately before she bites on her bottom lip and types out a reply.

_Be there in 5._

*********************

True to her word, Kimberly’s window is wide open when Trini climbs the trellis to her bedroom seven minutes later. She grins as soon as Trini’s head pops up behind the window and is holding her hand out to help her through it.

“Hey!” She grins.

“Hey.” Trini says breathlessly, gripping her hand and making it through the window with ease.

When Trini rights herself, she finally takes in Kimberly and feels her heart pound against her chest wildly.

Kimberly’s wearing short shorts and a cut off tank top, sweat glistening on her tan skin as Trini’s eyes roam over her stomach, taking in the slightly toned abs beginning to form before looking up to see Kimberly staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry.” Trini averts her eyes and Kimberly laughs.

“I was in the middle of a workout.”

“Sorry.” Trini says again.

“Don’t be! I invited you. What happened?” Kimberly skips her way over to her bed and collapses onto it, and Trini makes her way over as well, grins when Kimberly pats the spot beside her and collapses down beside her with a sigh. 

“She got pissed at me about the detentions I now have every Saturday for the rest of the year.” Trini mumbles. Kimberly tenses beside her and Trini looks at her to see her looking at her guiltily.

“Shit. Sorry.” She says, biting her lip.

“Don’t be. I punched Amanda because I wanted to.”

“Yeah, but you did it for me.” Kimberly mumbles. Trini smiles.

“Eh, that’s part of the reason. When I first got here, she pushed past me and knocked me into the lockers so hard, I almost dislocated my shoulder, so...it’s been a long time coming.” Kimberly sighs and looks up at the ceiling, and Trini joins her. They’re silent for a few seconds before Trini feels Kimberly’s hand snake down her forearm and grip her fingers, interlacing them with her own. 

“Thank you.” She says softly.

“For?” Trini asks, not looking at her. 

“Punching Amanda for me.” Kimberly says, and Trini smiles.

She’s not sure how Kimberly does it, to be honest, but she always sees right through her.

“You’re welcome.” Trini says simply. Kimberly squeezes her hand, then lifts it up.

"Your hand..." She whispers, looking at the bruised and broken skin. Trini shrugs.

"It's already healing." The skin has already pretty much healed, the bruising already yellow and faded and Kimberly sighs.

"5 feet of fury. That's what we should call you from now on." Trini slaps her arm.

"Shut up." She says, laughing despite herself. Kimberly grins before she sighs and lets go of Trini's hand, sitting up slowly.

“I’ve gotta shower. You mind hanging out in here? I won’t take long.” Trini simply shakes her head and Kimberly jumps off her bed and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Trini stands slowly, looking around the room with a smile.

There’s a stand of trophies, all cheerleading and gymnastics based in the right corner, and Trini walks over to it to see most of them are either second or first place.

Of course.

She passes the dresser filled with nail polish bottles and make up, and walks over to the mirror in the left corner. Attached all around the corners of the mirror are photos.

All of them are of Kimberly, Zack, Jason, Billy and Trini.

There’s the one they took on the Cliff, all of them sitting in a row and smiling. There’s another one that Trini took of the five of them pulling faces at the camera. There’s also one of Kimberly scrunching her face at Zack while he covers his mouth in mock surprise. There’s one of her poking Billy in the cheek as he crosses his eyes. One of her making a kissy face at Jason, who, and Trini laughs because she’s so used to Jason being serious all the time, is pulling a kissy face at her as well. 

Then there’s one of her and Trini, Kimberly with her lips pressed against Trini’s cheek while Trini frames her face with a vogue, her lips pouted and her eyebrow raised. 

Trini smiles and touches the photo, jumps when Kimberly’s phone rings loudly on the bed and makes her way over to it.

She manages to see the message before it fades, and she can’t help but smile.

_Jason Scott (1).  
Did Trini end up coming? Is she alright?_

Trini has half a mind to send him a message saying she’s fine when she sees a photo on the ground that’s been ripped almost clean in two. She frowns and bends down to pick it up before turning it over in her hands. 

It’s of Kimberly and Amanda, both of them hugging each other tightly, and Trini feels her throat tighten at the sight of Kimberly so young. She looks about fourteen or fifteen in the photo.

She and Amanda really were friends for a long time...

She doesn’t know why their friendship ended. Doesn’t know what prompted Kimberly to cut all her hair off, and doesn’t know why she’s serving detention every Saturday. 

She sighs and puts the photo back and when she stands up, Kimberly’s closing the door again in the doorway wrapped in a towel.

She turns to face Trini, who clears her throat and looks up at the ceiling and tries her absolute hardest not to blush as Kimberly makes her way over to her.

“Forgot a shirt. You good?” She asks.

“Uh huh.” Trini walks over to the mirror and distracts herself with the photos again, looking at the one of all five of them on the Cliff, but when she sees Kimberly drop her towel from the corner of her eye in the mirror, Trini grips the table to stop herself from falling as her head spins.

She glances up despite herself, can feel the heat rising all over her body. She’s wearing pajama shorts, (Trini thanks all the god she knows because lord only knows what would happen if she bore witness to that), but from the waist up, she’s naked, but her back is turned to Trini as she roams in her closet. There’s water droplets still clinging to Kimberly’s back, her muscles moving beneath her skin as she grabs her a shirt from her cupboard and throws it over her head, pulling it down to cover her body before she turns and Trini just manages to drop her eyes back down to the photo in her hands. She feels Kimberly walk up behind her and then hears her chuckle in her ear.

“That’s my favorite one.” She whispers. The photo is of her and Trini, and Trini smiles despite herself, feels her cheeks grow impossibly hotter as she snags the photo back into the corner of the mirror.

“You wanna sleep over tonight?” Kimberly asks. Trini shakes her head slowly.

“I’d love to, but I should probably head out. Mom and Dad are probably gonna go to bed soon and they always come in to say goodnight. Even when they’re mad.” She mumbles out the last part, and Kimberly simply nods.

“Okay. I’m just a text message away, though. Alright?” Trini nods, and Kimberly hugs her, wrapping her arms around Trini’s neck before pressing a kiss to her head.

“See ya.” Trini clambers out of the window and drops down from the trellis, landing on her feet on the ground and bracing the impact with her hand. She looks up to see Kimberly watching her from the window with a grin before she suddenly pulls her phone out.

Trini’s phone buzzes and she grabs it from her back pocket.

_Kimberly Hart (1).  
Superhero landing!_

Trini laughs and looks up as Kimberly claps excitedly. She rolls her eyes with a grin and waves before making her way back home.

When she gets there, she jumps up onto the roof of the living room just beside her window-

And freezes when she sees Zack at her window.

He grins widely at her.

“Hey, Didi!” Trini rolls her eyes and opens her window before climbing inside, and Zack follows after her.

“What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to check on you.” Trini smiles and looks at him with a smirk.

“Didn’t know you cared.”

“Of course I care! Besides, I wanna sleep over.”

“You’re not sleeping in my bed.”

“Why, saving it for Kim?” He waggles his eyebrows, and Trini slaps him in the back of the head.

“Ow!” He massages it with a wince, and Trini grabs her pillows on her bed before throwing them unceremoniously to the ground.

“I haven’t got a spare blanket.” She says simply. Zack shrugs.

“I’m warm blooded.” She says with a grin. Trini’s about to slap him again when she hears the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and panic courses through her.

“Shit. Hide!” She shoves Zack back and throws him into her closet before shutting the door and running to her bed. She throws the blankets over her body and closes her eyes as her door opens.

“Trini?” She doesn’t respond to her mother’s voice, and a few moments pass before the door closes again. Trini opens her eyes and breathes out a sigh of relief before she hears her closet door open.

“Seriously? The closet? That’s where you live, not me.”

“I fucking hate you.”

*********************

As usual for Trini, she wakes up in the middle of the night, gasping and sweating as the memory of Rita Repulsa’s touch invades her dreams, and she wants to scream, wants to cry, wants to curl up into a ball and sob, but for the first time, she has someone by her side.

Zack wakes up at the sound of her whimpers and jumps up, immediately hugging her to his body, pressing her head against his chest as he rubs her back.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you, shh...” 

She grips his shirt and wills herself to breathe, to focus on Zack, the smell of his body spray, strong and stagnant but not horrible, the sound of his breathing, clear and deep, the feel of his skin, heated beneath her fingertips...

“Does this happen every night?” Zack whispers to her. Trini nods against his chest and he sighs.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” He asks softly. 

“Didn’t wanna bother anyone...” She mumbles. Zack runs his fingers through her hair.

“We’re a team, Trin. We’re here for you, okay?” 

“No, you can’t tell the others.”

“Trini-.”

“Zack, please?” She looks up at him, and he stares for a long moment before sighing.

“Okay. I won’t.” She lets out a sigh of relief and sinks back against him, breathing deeply through her nose.

They’re silent for a long time before Zack suddenly leans back onto the bed and drags Trini with him.

“My mom told me this story once about the greatest warrior in China. He was fierce, and strong, but mostly, he was loyal. His warriors were willing to die for him, as he was willing to die for them...”

Trini listens to his story intently, but it isn’t long before the sound of his soft voice lulls her back to sleep.

When she wakes up, Zack is gone and there’s a note on her pillow beside her.

_And you said you weren’t gonna let me sleep in your bed. ;)_

Trini laughs despite herself and shakes her head, and about a minute later, there’s a knock at her door and her mother walks in.

“You have detention, come on. I’m making huevos rancheros.” 

When Trini dresses herself up and heads down the stairs, her mom is cooking breakfast in the kitchen, spinning around the spot while Elvis Crespo plays loudly from the CD player on the counter, singing as loudly as she can as she stirs the food in the pan.

“Suavemente, bésame! Que yo quiero sentir tus labios, besándome otra vez-.” 

“Mom, you need new Spanish music.” Trini says, walking into the kitchen. Her mother points the wooden spoon she’s holding at her.

“You have school on a Saturday, you don’t get to tell me what to do.” 

“Touché.” 

“Eh, touché, mi propia hija inteligente me habla-.” She grabs Trini’s hand and spins her and suddenly starts dancing with her around the kitchen, and Trini laughs and grips her hand tighter, spins her on the spot and can’t help but grin when her mother whoops loudly.

“De ese rico sueno, que me dan tus besos, suavemente-.” Her mother dips her and Trini laughs and stands and dances on the spot, taking over her mother’s singing.

“Bésame! Que yo quiero sentir tus labios, besando me otra vez, suavemente ese coro!”

“Bésame!” Her mother yells, clapping her hands. 

“Es la cosa!” 

“Eh, what’s happening here?” Her father walks into the kitchen, looking at them both dancing in shock before he smiles.

“Wow, and to think you were ready to kill each other yesterday.” He says, laughing as he kisses her mother’s cheek and takes the wooden spoon from her hand and takes over cooking. 

“I may want to kill her sometimes, but she’s my daughter, mi pequeña niña!” She pinches Trini’s cheeks and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, alright.” She swats her mother’s hands away, but smiles all the same as she sits down at the table just as her brothers stumble into the kitchen still half asleep.

“What, did you not have time to brush your hair? Did I raise animals?” Her mother says, looking at the boys, who both have their hair sticking up at the back as they yawn and shrug. 

A new song begins playing and her mother gasps.

“Ah, I love this song.”

“We know.” Trini, her brothers and her father chant, and her mother rolls her eyes and turns the volume up before she begins singing.

“Yo sé que tienes un nuevo amor, sin embargo te deseo lo mejor-Trini, canta para mí por favor mi hija!” Trini rolls her eyes, but sings for her mother because it’s rare that her mother is in this good of a mood.

“Como la flor, con tanto amor, me diste tú, se marchito, me marcho hoy, yo se perder, pero ay, como me duele, ay come me duele-.” 

Her mother sighs happily and walks over, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“God blessed you with such a good voice.” Trini’s expression turns stony at that, but her mother doesn’t notice as she puts plates in front of each of them before her father loads their plates with food.

The music keeps playing as they eat, her mother dancing and humming along in her seat, and Trini wolfs down her food before standing and grabbing her bag.

“Gotta go.” Her mother’s face falls.

“Ah yes, my daughter the fighter, off to detention.” Trini rolls her eyes.

“Stop being dramatic, mom.” She kisses her mother’s cheek before kissing her father’s and heading out the door.

When she reaches the school, Jason, Kimberly and Billy are waiting for her. She grins as soon as she sees them, and they smile back as the four of them head into detention in silence.

“Hey, wait up!” They turn and see Zack running as fast as he can toward them, and Trini exchanges a look with him before he claps his hands together.

“Detention time. Let’s go.” 

Detention drags on, and eventually, Trini gets bored and sends a note flying at Jason’s head. He catches it and opens it and grins up at her before writing a reply and sending it back.

_We training today?_

_Nope. I’ve got something better in mind._

Trini looks up at him with a raised eyebrow and he winks. Kimberly looks between them both, then writes something down on a note and sends it flying at Trini.

_What are you two gossiping about?_

Trini grins up at her and shrugs and Kimberly drops her mouth open in mock surprise. 

When detention ends, Jason grins at them widely and claps his hands together.

“No training today.”

“Oh thank god, I can’t feel my legs after yesterday to be honest.” Zack groans, rubbing his thighs and Trini grins at the memory of her kicking his ass in training the day before. Jason grins widely at them.

“How do you guys feel about bowling?”

*******************

“Yes! Suck it, Kim!” Trini jumps in celebration as the bowling ball hits three of the pins, which causes all ten to get knocked down. Kimberly groans as Trini’s name overtakes hers on the board.

“How can someone so tiny be so good at bowling?” Kimberly grumbles.

“Yeah, you’d think she wouldn’t be able to even pick up the ball.” Zack teases. Trini glares at him and picks up one of the balls and is about to lob it at his head when Jason runs over and takes it from her hands.

“My turn!” 

Trini sits down beside Kimberly when a group of guys suddenly walk up to their table, all three of them eyeing Kimberly and Trini.

“Hey, mind if we join your game?” They ask, and one of them winks at Kimberly, who scoffs under her breath.

“Sorry dude, private game.” Zack says, brushing him off. 

“Oh come on, plenty of room for three more, man. Besides, looks like those girls could use some attention.” The second guy says, nodding over at Kimberly and Trini. 

“Don’t want it.” Trini says simply. 

“Yeah, so fuck off.” Zack says, grinning. The guy’s eyes widen and he looks at his friends before laughing in disbelief.

“Wow, you’ve got a mouth on you-.”

“He said fuck off.” Jason says suddenly, making his way over to them, his expression stony, and Trini bites back a smile and looks at Kimberly, who is shaking with contained laughter as she grips Trini’s hand under the table. 

The guys look like they’re about to square off when Trini, in all her five foot glory, stands and cracks her knuckles and glares at them, and she must look pretty menacing, because the guys stare before shaking their heads and raising their hands in surrender.

“Whatever, man. Let’s bounce.” They walk away, and it’s tense for a few moments before they all hear Kimberly exclaim in shock.

“What the hell!” They turn and see she’s looking at the board, where Jason’s name has now overtaken hers and has bumped her down to third place.

“So competitive.” She taps Kimberly’s nose and Kimberly slaps her hand away playfully.

“Whatever. I’m going to the bathroom.” She jumps up and makes her way to the bathroom and Trini looks over at the food counter and grins.

“I’ll get us some more hot fries.” She makes her way over to the counter and is surprised when Billy follows her.

“You okay?” She asks him. He nods.

“Yeah, fine. Bowling is just really loud.” He frowns, and Trini smacks her hand to her forehead.

“Shit. I didn’t even think...those guys really bothered you, didn’t they? Do you wanna leave?” She asks him. He grins and shakes his head.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m having fun despite it.” She smiles, orders another plate of hot fries and watches the girl behind the counter smile widely at her before disappearing into the kitchen. They hear Jason crow loudly and turn to see Zack only knocked down four pins.

“Hey, Trini, can I ask you a question?” Billy says suddenly. Trini nods and he looks at her with a frown before sighing.

“Do you ever...do you ever kinda think back to everything that’s happened over the last few weeks and get really anxious and feel like you can’t breathe?” Trini hesitates and bites her lip.

“No, but...I have nightmares. A lot.” She says. Billy’s eyes widen.

“You do?”

“Yeah. Don’t know how to get rid of them.” Billy frowns again.

“Should we maybe talk to the others about it?” Trini sighs and shrugs.

“I think you should. I’d rather the others not find out about my nightmares, though.” 

“Why not?” Trini’s about to answer when Kimberly suddenly pops up behind her, the sound of her voice making her jump.

“Did you get more fries? Yes!” She pumps her fist into the air just as the girl behind the counter returns and hands Trini the plate of fries with a smile, which Kimberly takes with a grin.

“Thanks!” Trini goes to hand the girl money and she shakes her head.

“It’s on me.” She says, winking at her. Trini blinks at her in shock and the girl smiles and suddenly reaches over the counter and grabs Trini’s hand, pulling it forward gently before she begins writing something down on Trini’s hand with a pen she pulls from her hair.

“So is that.” She says, and Trini looks down at her hand to see a number written on it. 

She can feel the heat rising to her cheeks as Jason calls out to them that it’s Billy’s turn, and they all make their way back to the table, Trini still kind of frozen in shock.

“What took you so long?”

“The girl at the counter gave Trini her number.” Billy says. Zack’s eyes widen and he laughs.

“Oh my god, our little Trini is growing up and dating! I’m so proud!” He says, wiping pretend tears from his face and Trini kicks him under the table.

“Shut up.” She mumbles. 

“Is she pretty?” Jason asks, grinning.

“Oh, very. Right, Kim?” 

They all turn to face Kimberly, who looks distant, her eyes almost blank until Jason nudges her.

“Kim?”

“Hmm, yeah?” She looks up at him and Zack laughs.

“Lost in thought there, Kimmy?”

“Shut up.” She mumbles. Zack laughs again and shakes his head, pointing at her and Trini.

“You two are peas in a pod. The amount of times you’ve told me to shut up combined probably has enough force to sew my mouth shut.”

“One can dream.” Trini says, grinning at him sarcastically. 

Kimberly’s silent for the rest of the game (which Jason wins, because of course he does), and when they make their way to the parking lot to Jason’s car, Trini frowns and nudges Kimberly lightly.

“You alright?” Kimberly looks at her and breathes in deeply before nodding.

“Yeah, of course.” Trini smiles, and Kimberly smiles back before clearing her throat and nudging her back playfully.

“You gonna call her?”

“Who?” 

“The girl from the counter.” Kimberly says, smiling. Trini bites her lip, but shakes her head.

“I don’t think so. My life’s complicated enough, the last thing I need is a girlfriend to make it even more complicated.” Kimberly’s shoulders suddenly relax and she grins widely.

“Fair enough.” 

Jason drops them each off home, and when Kimberly exits the car and grins before waving at them, Jason drives off and begins taking Trini home.

It’s just them two, and Trini is silent until Jason clears his throat.

“So, that was weird.”

“What was?” Trini asks in confusion. Jason smiles at her lopsidedly.

“Kimberly acting all weird when that girl gave you her number.” He says. Trini stares at him for a long time, can feel herself beginning to blush before she shakes her head.

“It wasn’t that, come on. It was those stupid guys, obviously.” She says, looking out of the window.

“Yeah, sure.” Jason says, chuckling, and Trini bites her lip.

“Right?” She says, and Jason grins at her.

“Like I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’” 

The rest of the ride is silent as a million thoughts run through Trini’s mind and when Jason finally drops her off, she walks through the front door of her home with a frown.

“Trini, is that you?”

“Yeah!”

“Come set the table, dinner’s ready! Tacos!” 

Trini eats her food in silence, listens to her family converse when her mother looks at her.

“I booked your appointment. Next Thursday after school.” Trini looks at her in confusion.

“What appointment?”

“Your therapist.” Trini’s heart drops. She grips the table and tries her best not to flip it as she stands from the table and clears her throat.

“I’m not hungry.” She gets out, and before her mother can call her back, she walks up to her room and slams the door behind her.

She should’ve known.

Her mother was overprotective and overbearing.

And a dance and singing session in the kitchen wasn’t going to change that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all know the drill!

She wakes up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and gasping for air, and this time, there is no Zack to hold her and tell her everything is okay.

All that realization does is make things worse.

She tries her best to breathe, tries to shake off the feeling of Rita’s hands on her body and reaches for her phone with shaking fingers. Before she can send anything, however, her phone buzzes twice.

_Kimberly Hart (1).  
Trini, are you okay? I just woke up and felt like I couldn’t breathe, you’re the first person I thought of._

Trini opens the second message with shaking hands.

_Jason Scott (1).  
On my way._

Before Trini even has time to think, her eyes seem to automatically move to the hole in her wall and her chest constricts.

She needs to get out of here, she needs to go, she needs something-

She stumbles her way out of bed and toward the window, shoving it open and clambering out of it and she drops down from the roof, her body getting hit with cold wind as she runs down the street before the pain becomes too much and she crouches down and places her hands on her knees, willing herself to breathe. She looks up at the sound of footsteps pounding and she sees Jason and Kimberly running around the corner.

Thank god they all live close to each other.

They speed up when they see her, and come to a stop in front of her.

“Trini, what’s wrong?” Jason asks, and Trini falls down to her hands and knees, shaking her head.

“Can’t...nightmares-.” She gets out. 

“Breathe, shh...” Kimberly brushes her hair back from her face and rubs her back gently. 

“Trini, it’s okay, we’re here.” Jason crouches down beside her and Trini shakes her head.

“I feel-fuck I feel like she’s everywhere-all the time.” She gasps out. Kimberly suddenly crouches in front of her and takes her face into her hands.

“Rita’s gone, Trini. I swear to you she will never hurt you again.” 

“Maybe we should take her to one of our places-.”

“No! I’m fine-.” She goes to stand, pushing Kimberly off her lightly but then her head spins and she’s stumbling, Kimberly’s arms wrapping around her waist to steady her.

“Trini, let us help you!” Jason says, gripping her hands in his own, and Trini yanks her hands out of his reach.

“I don’t-I don’t need help-.” She can’t breathe, she can hear the sound of Rita’s rattling breath echoing in her ear-

“Okay, enough, come here.” Kimberly grips her hand and spins her and presses her chest against Trini’s back, wrapping her hands around her waist and gripping her hands with her own before resting her chin on Trini’s shoulder.

“Breathe. Shh, just breathe. Come on, in through the nose, out through the mouth...”

“I can’t-.” Trini chokes out, gripping Kimberly’s hands tighter, as if they’re a lifeline, and Kimberly whispers in her ear.

“Yes, you can. Come on. Slowly, shh, breathe...” 

It’s Kimberly’s words of encouragement, the feeling of her warm body pressed against Trini’s back, that brings her to reality and finally allows her to focus as she closes her eyes, breathing as hard as she can through her nose before exhaling through her mouth...

“There you go. Good, just breathe...” 

The feeling of Rita Repulsa’s cold, harsh hands touching her fades and is replaced with what she’s feeling now, Kimberly’s warmth, her soft fingers grazing her forearms in a soothing motion as Trini finally feels her body relax. 

“You okay?” Jason asks softly. Trini simply nods, still not opening her eyes, still wanting to just be in this moment-

“I’ll stay with her, Jason.” Kimberly whispers.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I got her. Go home, get some rest.” Trini hears Jason sigh, and when she opens her eyes, she sees the hesitation to leave in Jason’s eyes before he leans forward, hand touching Trini’s cheek as he kisses her forehead. 

“If you need anything, call me. Please.” Trini nods once, and he smiles sadly before walking away, the sound of his footsteps pounding on the sidewalk echoing as he picks the pace up into a jog. 

“Let’s get you back home, come on.” Kimberly says softly. She doesn’t let go of Trini, her hand interlacing with Trini’s as she walks her back to her place. They both jump up onto the roof and Trini climbs through the window first before helping Kimberly through.

It’s dark, but Kimberly stiffens when she sees the hole in Trini’s wall, and Trini can feel the panic rising in her again before Kimberly squeezes her hand and leads her over to her bed. 

“Come on.” She drags Trini down until she’s resting on top of Kimberly, and they’re silent for a few moments before Trini looks up at Kimberly.

“Were you asleep?” She whispers. Kimberly looks down at her with hesitation and shakes her head.

“No, I...I was with Jason, actually. That’s why we both came at the same time.”

Trini feels her heart drops and she drops her head back down to avoid Kimberly’s gaze, inching away from her slightly as she does.

“Oh.”

“I couldn’t sleep and I needed to talk to him about something-.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself.” Trini says bluntly. Kimberly runs her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“I don’t like him in that way, Trini.”

“I don’t care if you do.” 

“But I don’t.” 

“Right.” 

“Trin.” Kimberly forces Trini’s head up by her chin to look down at her and her face is stern.

“I don’t.”

“Kimberly, I don’t care if you do, I have nothing to do with your relationships or your...your feelings. You don’t like him, awesome, you do like him...great. Whatever.” Trini rolls to her side away from Kimberly and hears her sigh loudly.

“I don’t want to fight with you-.”

“I’m not fighting with you, I’m telling you like it is.” Trini says firmly. She suddenly feels like she’s much rather be alone, so she clears her throat and looks back at Kimberly.

“You can go back home. I’m fine.” Kimberly looks at her in shock.

“Trini, I’m not leaving, you had a nightmare, a really intense one, I felt it-.”

“Yeah, while you were with Jason...” Trini mutters.

“What?”

“I punched Amanda in the face for you.” Trini blurts out, her body acting on its own and sitting up in her bed angrily. Kimberly looks at her.

“I know you did-.” 

“Yeah, that stuff I said about her shoving me into a locker and almost dislocating my shoulder? It’s bullshit. I made it up. I did it for you.” 

“Trini, I know. What does this have to do with-?”

“I don’t know! I’m still trying to think of the point I’m making...” Trini frowns, and Kimberly looks at her before she suddenly chuckles and shakes her head. 

“I went to Jason’s because I couldn’t sleep. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about something personal and I needed advice. He helped me. That’s it.”

“Kimberly-.”

“I know. You don’t care. But I care, so that’s why I’m telling you.” She grips Trini’s hand, and Trini sighs and nods.

“Okay.” She says simply. Kimberly smiles at her widely and drags her back down, wrapping her arms around her and Trini sighs, resting her head against her arm, too afraid to move her head anywhere near Kimberly’s chest because she’s pretty sure she’ll die if she does. 

“Seriously though, Kim, I have to go to Church in the morning, which means my mom is gonna be banging through my door by six demanding that I get dressed. You don’t want to be here for that.” 

“Okay. I’ll leave before six then.”

“Kim-.”

“Trini, shut up and go to sleep.” 

“You’re the worst.”

“No, I’m not.”

Trini sighs.

“No, you’re not.” 

*************************

Trini’s woken up by the sound of her mother banging on her door.

“Time for Church, Trini. Get up.” Her mother jiggles the doorknob, and Trini’s about to reply when she realizes her arm is wrapped around something hard.

A waist. Definitely a waist.

She sits up and looks down to see Kimberly beginning to stir beside her.

“Trinity?”

“Yeah, I’m up!” Trini calls out, her voice shaking. 

“Okay. I’m making eggs for breakfast before we go, come on.” She hears the sound of her mother walking away and Trini looks at her front door, looks back at Kimberly, then throws the covers off herself.

“Shit. Shit!” She shakes Kimberly, who groans before blinking up at her sleepily.

“What?”

“My mom-.”

“I locked the door. We’re fine.” Kimberly says, pulling the covers back over herself and closing her eyes again.

“Not fine! Kimberly!” She shoves her and Kimberly yelps before she falls off the bed with a thud. Trini’s eyes widen as Kimberly’s head pops up from the bed and she glares at her.

“Dude!”

“You’ve gotta go!” Trini hisses. Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“Alright, alright.” She stands up slowly and stretches, and Trini finds herself staring at Kimberly’s exposed stomach when her shirt rides up, fights the urge to reach out and touch the tan skin-

“Your full name is Trinity?” Kimberly says, and Trini’s eyes snap up to Kimberly’s face so see her smirking with a raised eyebrow.

“If you tell the others, I will actually kill you.” Kimberly laughs and makes a zipping motion over her lips.

“My lips are sealed.” She winks before making her way over to the window, and she climbs out of it before waving at Trini and jumping down.

Trini sighs and runs around her room, looking for suitable church clothes as she shoves them on unceremoniously and unlocks her door before making her way downstairs.

Her mother’s humming along to Spanish music as usual when Trini walks into the kitchen, and her father is drinking a cup of coffee when he looks up at her with a frown.

“Hija, I know you were upset last night but you know my rule about locked doors in this house.” He says sternly. Trini nods.

“Y-Yeah, sorry. Won’t happen again.” He nods, his mouth pressed in a straight line as her mother sighs and loads a plate full of fried eggs.

“Go on, put these on the table. And go wake up your brothers-.”

“We’re up!” Trini and her parents turn to see her brothers, Hugo and Alex, taking their seats at the table, their hair still sticking up, but they’re dressed in their little church suits that Trini always finds adorable.

“Again with the loco hair!” Trini’s mother yells.

“We tried, it doesn’t stay down!” Alex yells back. Trini laughs and looks at her dad, who winks at her before grabbing a plate and loading it with eggs. Trini does the same and sits beside him as her mother attacks the boys’ hair with a wet comb.

“Ma, stop-.”

“Usted está visitando la casa de dios que usted necesita mirar apropiada-.” 

She’s interrupted by the sound of loud knocking at the front door. Her mother looks at the door with a frown of confusion, and Trini’s father stands.

“Who’s calling at this hour?” Trini shrugs as her father makes his way to the door.

She starts wolfing down her food, her hunger getting the better of her because she hasn’t eaten properly since yesterday morning when she hears a familiar voice echo throughout the hallway and she chokes on a piece of egg.

“Hi, Mr. Rodriguez. My name is Kimberly Hart, I’m one of Trini’s friends from school. We have a Biology test tomorrow, I was hoping I could stay for a bit to study with her?” 

Trini thumps on her chest in an attempt to get the egg down, and when it finally does, she gasps for air and looks up at her mother with watery eyes.

Her mother’s eyes are wide and she looks at Trini in shock.

“You really do have a friend!” She whispers. Trini’s still gasping for air when she hears her father’s reply.

“Well, of course, sweetheart, you’re more than welcome, but...it’s very early and we have to go to Church, so...do you mind coming back-.”

“Alejandro, don’t be so rude!” Her mother is practically flying with how fast she runs to the door, and Trini runs after her. 

“Mom-.”

“Come in, Kimberly! We’re just having breakfast! My name is June!” She ushers Kimberly in and takes her hand in her own, and Kimberly smiles at her politely.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Rodriguez-.”

“Ack, none of that, call me June, please! Would you like some breakfast?”

“Mom, we have to go to Church.” Trini manages to gasp out, her throat still hurting from choking on egg, and her mother glares at her.

“Trinity, stop being so impolite. Grab your friend a plate, go on! Ahora!” 

Trini scampers like a scolded dog to the kitchen, and Kimberly follows her.

“What the hell?” Trini hisses under her breath as she pours eggs onto a plate for her. Kimberly shrugs.

“Didn’t wanna go home.” 

Before Trini can reply, her mother walks over.

“Is there anything else I can get you, sweetheart? Juice? Milk?”

“I’m okay, thanks June.” Kimberly says, smiling at her as all three of them walk back to the dining table.

Kimberly sits down beside Trini and grins at her and Trini has a mad urge to hit her, but then Kimberly’s foot is tapping against her knee under the table as if to say ‘calm down’ and she sighs and simply stares down at her eggs instead. 

“So, Kimberly! How come we haven’t seen you before? From what I know, Trini’s been friends with you for a while now!” Trini’s father says, and Trini bites back a groan and sinks her head lower into her plate until she’s almost face planting her eggs as Kimberly chuckles beside her.

“That’s my fault. I always get nervous around parents, I guess.” Kimberly lies through her teeth, and Trini glares up at her as Kimberly smiles widely at her.

“Oh, well there’s no need to be nervous around us! I promise!” Her mother says, smiling at her almost maniacally.

“Mama, tono abajo un poco, por favor?” Trini groans, and her mother glares at her.

“Don’t speak Spanish in front of your friend, it’s rude!” She says sternly. Trini sighs and Kimberly suddenly reaches out and grips her hand under the table. Trini stares at her, and Kimberly’s smile this time is soft.

Understanding.

“Kimberly, sweetheart, have you ever been to Church?” Her mother asks. Trini’s head snaps to her mother so fast, she’s pretty sure it’s broken, the pain flaring throughout her whole body before it disappears as quickly as it came, her Ranger healing kicking in for her.

“No, I haven’t, sorry. My parents aren’t very religious.” Kimberly says. Her mother smiles.

“Well, we’d love for you to join us today-.”

“Actually, mom, I was hoping I could skip Church and go study? It’s a really important Biology test, if I fail, I don’t graduate.” Trini feels a nudge of guilt hit her at the fact that she’s lying, but she swallows it down as her mother looks at her sadly.

“Trini, you haven’t missed a service since you were born...” She says softly. Trini’s heart pangs with guilt and she sighs.

“I know, but-.”

“June, Trinity is eighteen years old now, she can make her own decisions.” Her father says. Her mother looks between them both, then sighs and purses her lips before nodding.

“Okay. If it’s that important...” Kimberly looks at Trini, and looks like she’s about to say something when Trini squeezes her hand and shakes her head infinitesimally. Kimberly bites her lip and gives her a small nod, squeezing her hand back as Trini’s mother looks up at her with a sad smile.

“Okay, well. I think we should get going. Are you going to stay here?”

“I think I might just head to Kimberly’s house, she’s got the textbook, so...” Trini mumbles. Her mother simply nods and stands, taking hers, her fathers and her brothers’ empty plates before walking into the kitchen in silence. Her father looks at her, and Trini looks at Kimberly, who nods toward the kitchen.

“Go.” She says softly, smiling encouragingly. Trini sighs and stands, taking hers and Kimberly’s plates to the kitchen as well. When she enters, her mother is at the sink cleaning the dishes.

“Ma?”

“Mmm?”

Trini bites her lip before hugging her mother from behind, and her mother sighs before she relaxes and touches her arm gently.

“Promise me you’ll come next week?” Her mother whispers. Trini nods against her back.

“I promise.” She says. Her mother chuckles before she turns and hugs her properly, her wet and soapy hands soaking Trini’s shirt, but she finds she doesn’t mind. Her mother presses a kiss to her forehead. Trini hesitates before she speaks.

“En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo.” Trini does the sign of the cross as she says it and her mother smiles tearfully. 

“En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo.” She repeats, doing the sign of the cross as well before she lifts the necklace around her neck, also a cross, and presses a kiss to it. She extends it out to Trini, who takes her mother’s hands around the cross and kisses them instead.

“Amen.” Trini finishes.

“Amen.” Her mother whispers. Trini smiles and her mother kisses her forehead again.

“Now go. Study hard!” She teases, poking Trini in the ribs and Trini ignores the guilt that rears it head and makes her way back to the dining table where Kimberly and her father are apparently deep in conversation.

“You know, whatever it was all about, those five Power Rangers, or whatever everyone calls them, they’re very brave.” He says, standing and making his way to the kitchen with his plate.

“They are.” Kimberly says as he leaves. Her eyes move up as Trini enters the room and she smiles.

“My favorite’s the Red!” Hugo yells.

“The Black one is way better!” Alex yells. Trini has half a mind to tell them that he’s not, really, when Kimberly grins at them both.

“Really? My favorite’s the Yellow Ranger.” She says, and she looks up at Trini with a grin.

“Trin, what’s your favorite Ranger?” Hugo asks. Trini grins back at Kimberly.

“Oh, the Yellow one for sure.” Kimberly looks at her in mock surprise and Trini winks before shrugging.

“But the Pink one’s not so bad.” 

They leave five minutes later, and Kimberly bumps against her as they walk to her house.

“Your mom okay?” She asks. Trini nods.

“Yeah.”

“I was gonna say I could come back later, why did you stop me?” Kimberly asks. Trini sighs.

“I don’t feel comfortable at Church. Every time I walk in there, it’s like I can feel Jesus staring at me in disapproval because I’m gay. It fucking sucks.” Kimberly laughs loudly, and they’re silent for a while before Kimberly clears her throat.

“Do...do you have any plans to tell your parents soon?” She asks softly. Trini bites her lip and tries her best not to cry as she shrugs.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Kimberly sighs and grips her hand tightly before smiling at her.

“Well, now that you don’t have Church, how about I invite the boys over and we have a pool party?” Trini stops in her tracks.

“I don’t have a bathing suit.” Kimberly’s smile turns into a wide grin.

“Oh, don’t worry. I have a spare one that’s perfect for you.”

*************************

Trini’s stuck looking at the damn fucking photo in the mirror again.

Because she’s refusing to look in the mirror at what’s behind her.

Trini had been busy putting on the yellow two piece bikini (and she glares at Kimberly when she hands it to her because really?) to pay attention to when Kimberly had first started undressing.

But Trini had finished before her, and when she had looked up she’d been met with Kimberly’s bare back staring at her.

She’d averted her eyes quickly, and now she’s stuck looking at the mirror.

But she can’t help it.

Her eyes drift and she sees Kimberly just beginning to lift the bikini over her breasts, her fingers quickly working a tie with the straps and Trini can feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she adjusts her own bikini top.

Soft fingers replace her own and Trini can’t help the shudder and the goosebumps that erupt on her skin as Kimberly chuckles in her ear.

“You did this wrong, silly.” She unties the straps around Trini’s neck and reties them before her fingers skate along Trini’s spine and tie the second straps around the middle of her back. 

“There. All done.” Kimberly whispers. Trini turns on the spot, becomes incredibly aware of how close Kimberly is, to the point where she can almost count the eyelashes on her eyelids, and when Kimberly doesn’t step back, stays in her spot, her hands dropping at her sides, Trini’s breath catches in her throat as the sun breaks over the clouds outside and floods Kimberly’s room with light.

She looks beautiful.

Trini bites her bottom lip, and Kimberly still doesn’t move back and Trini swears, swears on her life, that Kimberly leans forward just a little-

“YO, KIMMY! OPEN UP!” There’s the sound of loud pounding on the door downstairs and they both jump, Kimberly finally stepping back before she clears her throat and grins, taking Trini’s hand as she drags her out of her room.

“Boys are here!” She rushes down the stairs and jumps the last one, finally letting go of Trini as she does, and opens the door.

“Did someone say pool party?!” Zack yells. 

“Parents won’t be home till tomorrow night so we can be as loud as we want!” Kimberly says, grinning, and Zack crows before walking in, Jason and Billy trailing behind her. 

“I brought sausages and snacks! Well, my mom bought it, and I brought it!” Billy says, holding up two bags worth of food. Kimberly grins widely.

“Nice! There’s a grill next to the pool!” 

“Hey, how’re you feeling?” Jason asks, giving Trini a one armed hug, which she returns.

“Better. I promise.”

“Good.” He smiles and follows Zack, Billy and Kimberly to the backyard. Trini follows them soon after as Zack runs and dive bombs into Kimberly’s underground pool that takes up almost half of the backyard, the rest of it an outdoor patio.

And Trini finds it strange, because the house looks like your average two story home, but the patio and pool look like they belong in a mansion.

Kimberly sees the confused look on her face and smiles.

“Dad got bored one summer and renovated it. Mom yelled at him for weeks because she thinks we could’ve used the money to move into a nicer home. But we’ve been here my whole life, doesn’t make sense to move now.” Trini smiles, and Kimberly walks over to the cooler next to the little dining table and pulls out a beer. She hands it to Trini, who takes it with a grin.

She’s not a big fan of beer, but after this morning, any alcohol will do.

Jason shrugs out of his shirt and hangs it over the railing around the patio before he opens the grill and turns it on. Billy and Zack are already in the pool, both of them play wrestling each other and Kimberly sits down on the lounge chair, leaning back into it as she takes a swig from the beer bottle in her hand before reaching into the cooler beside her.

“Jase!” Kimberly throws a beer bottle to him quickly and his hand snaps up to catch it without looking, a grin on his face as he opens it and takes a swig.

“Your dad isn’t gonna kill us for stealing his beers, is he?” Trini asks, sitting down on the lounge chair beside Kimberly, and before she can answer, Zack’s jumping out of the pool and running toward her.

“Come on!”

“You touch me, I break your face!” Trini yells, holding a hand up to stop him, and Zack screeches to a halt.

“You’re no fun.” He pouts. Trini rolls her eyes, then stands and looks at him.

“Oh yeah? Watch this.” She takes a deep breath in before she runs straight for the pool and just as she reaches the end she vaults up and somersaults three times in mid-air before landing perfectly in the water, and she pops her head up to see Zack and the others cheering loudly.

“My turn!” Zack yells. He takes a few steps back before he runs and does what Trini thinks looks like a shooting star press from wrestling as he belly flops into the water. 

Kimberly suddenly jumps up from the lounge chair and begins cartwheeling toward the pool before she suddenly does a backflip and then does a full twisting layout into the pool. 

“Okay, that was impressive!” Billy says as Kimberly breaks through the surface of the water with a grin. 

“Come on, Jason!” Trini yells, and Jason grins before putting the tongs he’s using to cook the sausages down before he turns his back on them, does a few backflips and then spins twice in the air before landing in the pool. When he pops up, he laughs breathlessly.

“Not my best, but it’ll do.”

“Billy?” Trini says, looking at him. He grins widely and jumps out of the pool before running toward it again and simply dive bombing. When he resurfaces, he looks at all of them and shrugs.

“Best I could do.” They all laugh loudly, and Jason jumps out of the pool and continues cooking the sausages as Kimberly runs over to the stereo in the corner of the patio right next to the house and turns it on.

The music gets louder as Kimberly turns the volume up, and Trini jumps out of the pool and walks over to Jason.

“Do you think Zordon will be pissed at us for nothing showing up to training twice in a row?” She asks. Jason smirks.

“If he does, he doesn’t have a right. I’m the leader, and I say my team deserves the weekends off, from school and Power Ranger duties.” Trini grins and leans up, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Well, aren’t you the best leader ever?”

“I try.” He says, grinning, and he throws a look over his shoulder before looking at Trini again.

“She might get the wrong idea if you do that, you know.” He mutters teasingly. Trini frowns in confusion.

“Huh?” Jason laughs.

“Kimberly. She might get the wrong impression if you kiss me.” Trini grin fades and turns into a glare.

“She knows I’m super gay, you all do. And besides, there’s nothing going on between me and Kimberly. She's straight.” 

“But you’re not denying you have feelings?” Jason says, grinning. Trini stares at him blankly.

“I-I didn’t say that-.”

“Sure.” He says, still grinning widely, and Trini stops herself from wrapping her hands around his neck and choking him. 

“Jason-.”

“I’m just saying, Trini. There might be something there. Maybe you should go for it.” Trini raises an eyebrow at him.

“What did she say to you the other night?” She asks thoughtfully. Jason laughs.

“Sorry. Ranger/Ranger confidentiality.”

“What are you two gossiping about over there?!” Zack yells at them from the pool.

“We’re talking about how ugly you are!” Trini yells back. Zack’s mouth drops open as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“I expected that from Trini because she’s gay and she finds all men ugly but really, Jason? I thought we were bros!” 

When Jason finishes cooking the sausages, they all gather around the dining table to eat, and Trini finds she can’t stop staring at Kimberly.

The way water drips from her shoulder length hair onto the floor, the way water droplets cling to her skin and shine in the sunlight-

“Stop checking Kimberly out and pass me a sausage.” Zack says, poking Trini in the arm. All of them turn to look at her and Trini’s hand immediately curls into a fist and strikes out.

“Ow!” Zack clutches his arm, a bruise already forming from how hard Trini punched him, and she smiles sweetly at him before passing him one of the burnt sausages.

But she could’ve sworn she saw Kimberly smile and a blush form on her cheeks when Zack said what he said.

**************

After the sun sets and they all jump out of the pool, Kimberly asks them if they want to sleep over, and the boys immediately accept. Trini hesitates, not wanting to get on her mom’s bad side even more, and finally decides to call her mom and asks her if she can stay at Kimberly’s as well.

“Are her parents home?” Her mother asks sternly. Trini bites her lip with hesitation.

“Uh, not at the moment, but they’ll be in later on tonight. They’re at some charity event, it ends at midnight.” 

“Okay, but if you feel uncomfortable or scared at all, it doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the night, you call us and we’ll come and get you, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Promise me, Trini.”

“I promise, mom.”

“Okay. Have fun. And don’t stress about your exam.” Trini winces.

“I won’t.” 

“Bye, baby.”

“Bye, mom.” 

She ends the call and looks up to see Kimberly grinning at her.

“Got the okay?”

“Got the okay.” She says, and Kimberly’s grin grows wider.

“Yes!” She exclaims, before hugging Trini tightly.

They all take turns showering as Billy sets up his PS4 in Kimberly’s living room.

“Uh, where did that come from?” Kimberly asks with a frown.

“I brought it from my house, I hope you don’t mind.” Billy says from behind the TV as he attaches cables. Kimberly shrugs.

“Not at all, just as long as you didn’t steal it.” She teases. 

Trini had turned back before they arrived at Kimberly’s house to sneak through her window and grab spare clothes as soon as she had learned about the pool party. But just as she finishes showering and reaches into her bag, she pulls out only a bra, underwear and pajama shorts, and she realizes in her haste to get out of her house, she’d forgotten a shirt. 

She curses under her breath and dresses with what she has before she exits the bathroom and walks into Kimberly’s room, running a towel through her damp hair as she does.

“Hey, do you have a spare shirt? I forgot one.” She’s not paying attention, her eyes on her hair but when no one replies, she looks up.

Kimberly’s staring at her blankly, and Trini pauses, waits for a few moments and then clears her throat.

“Uh, Kim?” Kimberly jumps and nods.

“Yeah?” She says, blinking in surprise before looking at her properly. 

“I need a shirt?” Trini says hesitantly. Kimberly nods again and jumps up, reaching into her closet as she pulls out a bright pink pajama crop top and throws it at Trini. Trini looks at it and raises an eyebrow at Kimberly.

“Really?”

She puts it on and chuckles when it still manages to cover just above her belly button because Kimberly is a giantess compared to her. Kimberly smiles and nods.

“Looks good on you.” She says softly. Trini swallows the lump in her throat when there’s suddenly the sound of loud yelling downstairs.

They both rush down to find Zack and Jason playing Mortal Kombat on Billy’s PS4. 

“Fuck you, Zack!” Jason yells when Zack defeats him at Mortal Kombat, and Zack crows with victory.

“You can’t beat the Chinese kid at fighting games, white boy!” He yells. 

“Hey, you guys are okay with crashing out on the couch, right? We haven’t got any spare bedrooms.”

“Yeah.” Zack and Jason mumble as they start a new fight, and Billy nods, his eyes fixed on the TV. 

“Ugh, I deal with this every day with my brothers.” Trini says, rolling her eyes.

“Come on, let’s go upstairs. Don’t break my TV or you buy me a new one!” Kimberly yells at the boys.

“Yes, mom.” They chant. She growls before taking Trini’s hand and leads her upstairs into her room again. She closes the door behind her and they both collapse on Kimberly’s bed at the same time. 

They’re silent for a long time, both of them simply listening to the other breathe when Kimberly’s voice cracks the silence wide open.

“Trini, I’m really glad you didn’t call that girl yesterday.” She whispers. Trini turns to look at her, but she’s looking up at the ceiling, refusing to look at Trini, who smiles.

“Yeah, well, can’t call her anymore, her number is gone.” She says, looking at her palm where the girl wrote her number. 

“Would you? If you still had it?” Kimberly asks. Trini looks at her in confusion.

“Why?” She asks. Trini sees Kimberly swallow loudly before she finally turns to look at Trini.

“I don’t know. I’ve just been realizing some things, I guess.”

“Like?” Kimberly stares, and then she’s shaking her head, laughing shakily as she looks up at the ceiling again.

“Nothing.”

“Hey...” Trini reaches for her hand and grips it tightly in her own.

“You can talk to me.” She says softly. Kimberly bites down on her lip and turns to look at her again.

“I don’t know if I can say it.”

“Say what?”

“What I want to say.”

“Kimberly, I’m confused.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be, just talk to me.” She whispers. Kimberly sighs and a good ten minutes pass before she finally turns onto her side to look at Trini properly. 

“I haven’t been honest.”

“About what?”

“A lot of things.”

“Like?”

“The reason Amanda hates me is because that naked photo that went around the school earlier in the year was my fault. I sent it to Ty to get revenge on both of them for screwing me over. I was at a party and I found them in bed together, and when I confronted him about it he told me I was a mean girl so I punched him. And then I sent him that photo to get back at Amanda, and then it somehow leaked and...” She trails off, and Trini, for the first time in her life, is speechless. 

“Say something, please.” Kimberly whispers. Trini swallows the lump in her throat and looks up at the ceiling.

“We all make mistakes.” She whispers. Kimberly’s silent for a few seconds.

“I’m a horrible person.” She says. 

“Yeah, well, Amanda slept with your boyfriend, she’s not exactly innocent. I’m not saying what you did wasn’t horrible because it was, but...I think you’ve changed a lot since then.” 

“Yeah, well, being a Ranger and almost dying a handful of times does that to you.” Kimberly says softly. Trini closes her eyes and nods.

“Yeah.” Trini sighs and Kimberly squeezes her hand.

“That’s not the only thing.” Trini looks at her, and Kimberly smiles, but Trini can see the tears in her eyes.

“You know when you came out to us that night during the bonfire?” Trini nods, and Kimberly swallows loudly.

“I resonated with that. A lot.” Trini frowns in confusion, and Kimberly lets out a breathless laugh.

“What you said spoke to me. I feel like I can’t talk to anyone about what I feel. I feel like I have to be this perfect girl who knows everything about herself when I don’t feel that way at all. It’s taken me so long to accept myself for who I am. And I didn’t even think it was possible to like boys and...and girls. But it is and there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

Trini’s pretty sure her heart has stopped beating, because the world is spinning and she’s getting pins and needles in her hand from how tight they’re both gripping on to each other. 

“There’s nothing wrong with being bisexual, Kim.” Trini manages to get out. Kimberly smiles sadly.

“I know. And there’s nothing wrong with this, either.” And before Trini can react, Kimberly’s leaning forward, her moving up and cupping Trini’s jaw as she leans in and kisses her.

Trini can feel her lips tingling underneath Kimberly’s, can feel her whole body heating up as she reaches up and tangles a hand in Kimberly’s hair, pulling her closer, drinking her in, and it feels unreal, feels impossible, because this can’t possibly be happening-

Kimberly breaks away with a gasp and rests her forehead against Trini’s, and Trini can feel Kimberly’s heart racing beneath her fingertips as she snakes a hand around Kimberly’s neck and pulls her forward against her lips again.

Kimberly whines against her lips and pushes herself impossibly closer to Trini’s body, and Trini can feel her fingers skating over the skin on her exposed abdomen, can feel Kimberly’s body shaking above her, can feel something wet hit her cheek and realizes Kimberly’s crying-

“Kim.” She pulls away, brushes Kimberly’s tears away with her thumb and sighs.

“Trini, please-.”

“We can’t do this.” She whispers. Kimberly hovers above her before she moves off Trini and sits down beside her, and Trini pushes herself up slowly, tries to ignore the fissures forming in her heart at the sight of Kimberly’s bottom lip trembling as more tears fall.

“You...you don’t w-want me-.” She gasps out, and Trini closes her eyes and lets her own tears fall as she shakes her head.

“God, Kim, no...I do. I do want you but...this isn’t a good idea.” Trini manages to get out. 

She can see it now.

Her parents finding out.

Kimberly’s parents finding out.

Their Ranger duties going up in flames because neither of them can focused, worried too much about the other...

“Why?” 

“Because it’ll get in the way of us being Rangers, Kimberly. How can I focus on fighting if I’m worried about you, if I’m-.”

“I’m already worried about you in the battle.” Kimberly says breathlessly. Trini sighs, because the truth is she’s always worried about Kimberly when they’re in battle as well, but this still isn’t a good idea-

Why though? Why isn’t it a good idea?

Trini can’t come up with an answer.

“I...”

“You’re scared.” Kimberly says, her eyes widening with realization. Trini swallows and bites down on her lip.

“Do you blame me?” She says, laughing breathlessly. 

“No. I’m scared, too. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. When that girl gave you her number yesterday, I got home and spent the entire night crying even though you told me you weren’t going to call her. I’m fucking terrified, Trini. But I want this. I want us.” 

She interlaces her fingers with Trini’s, and Trini feels a shiver go up her spine at her touch.

“We can be scared together.” Kimberly whispers. Trini bites down on her lip and looks up at Kimberly with tears in her eyes.

“I...” Kimberly’s watching her expectantly, and Trini can’t do it.

She can’t.

“I need time. To think. Being in a relationship is risky for me, Kimberly. My parents-.”

“I know.” Kimberly sighs. They’re silent again, but it doesn’t take long before Kimberly smiles.

“Take as much time as you need. I’m willing to wait. I can’t ignore how I feel, Trini.” 

“Yeah, neither can I.” Trini whispers. 

“When did you know? That you had feelings for me?” Kimberly asks. 

“When Amanda called you a slut and the first thing that jumped into my mind was punching her in the face.” Trini says weakly. Kimberly laughs and shakes her head.

“Why are we so oblivious?” 

“I don’t know.” Kimberly laughs again but she leans forward and Trini doesn’t stop her. She presses a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth and sighs happily.

“Take as much time as you need to think about this, Trini. I know this is a big decision. But...can I have one condition?” 

“Mmm?”

“Can I still kiss you whenever I want? Because I’ve been thinking about kissing you since yesterday afternoon and now that I’ve done it I kinda don’t ever wanna stop.” Trini groans and can’t stop herself as she leans forward and kisses Kimberly deeply before she pulls away and nods against her forehead.

“Yeah. Definitely.” 

“Great.” Kimberly kisses her again, and Trini never in a million years thought that a majority of her night would be spent making out with Kimberly Hart. 

But then again, she never in a million years thought of the possibility of finding a Power Coin and becoming a part of sixty-five million year old war as a Power Ranger.

And that’s when Trini decides, as Kimberly eventually curls up against her back with an arm wrapped around her waist, that life is seriously fucking crazy, sometimes.


	3. Chapter 3

Kimberly Hart is impulsive.

She knows this. The girl cut her hair off in the school bathrooms one day for no reason at all and is the first to jump off the cliff every time they go to the ship.

Trini also recalls Kimberly being the one to grab her and drag her off the cliff the first time they found the ship as well.

She’s impulsive.

So when Trini wakes up to the next morning and Kimberly’s no longer beside her, the worst springs to her mind.

That Kimberly Hart is impulsive and last night was a mistake.

A mixture of relief and sadness swirls inside her, but ultimately, it’s for the best, she thinks.

What is she supposed to do when Kimberly wants them to be in a relationship and she has to tell her parents she’s gay?

What is she supposed to do when her parents kick her out? Go live on the ship?

And ultimately, what is she supposed to do when Kimberly realizes this was just another impulse and Trini’s left to pick up the pieces of her heart that shatter when Kimberly eventually ends it?

This way, it’s better.

Just one night of making out. Done and dusted. Never to happen again.

Life goes on.

“Trini! Breakfast!” She hears Zack yell up the stairs. 

“Coming!” She buries her head in the pillow, tries not to cry when the smell of Kimberly’s shampoo invades her senses, then rolls over and jumps out of the bed.

When she makes her way down the stairs, she’s met with Zack leaning against the railing with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

“Mornin’.” He sing songs. Trini glares at him and he whistles.

“Jeez, you’re in a much more sour mood than Kimberly was when she skipped down the stairs this morning like she was Mary freaking Poppins. What happened last night?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing or ‘nothing’?” He says, using quotation marks as he grins.

“Nothing, and you can shove those quotation marks right up your-.”

“Trini, come on! The bacon’s getting cold!” Jason yells. Zack laughs and shoves Trini, who is seconds away from punching him before he marches off into the kitchen, Trini glowering as she follows behind him.

Billy and Jason are seated at the table, eggs and bacon each on their plate and Trini turns as Kimberly makes her way over with a plate full of eggs and bacon, a grin on her face as she hands it to Trini.

“Morning sleeping beauty.” She says softly. Trini takes the plate and simply nods, and Kimberly’s grin falters a little before she sits down beside Trini at the table and continues eating her own breakfast.

“Can we skip school today and just hang out here?” Zack asks. Jason’s about to answer when Billy shakes his head.

“Absolutely not.” He says simply. Jason laughs and claps Billy on the shoulder before looking at Zack sympathetically.

“Sorry, man. I’m already in trouble enough as it is, and besides, didn’t you say you were gonna pick your game up and actually go to school?” Jason says, raising an eyebrow. Zack sighs.

“Yeah, I did. Yesterday was just so much fun, sucks that it has to end because of something as stupid as school.” He grumbles.

“School is not stupid.” Billy says.

“Kinda is when you find out aliens exist and you become a superhero who has to save the planet every once in a while.” Kimberly mutters. Billy glares at her.

“Don’t condone his behavior.” He says, pointing at Zack. Zack laughs and slaps his finger away lightly.

“Alright, Blue! You win. We’ll go to school. Be the perfect students. But let’s say this afternoon, you and I meet in the Pit and if I win, we skip school tomorrow?” Zack grins.

“And if I win?” Billy says, confusion on his face. 

“We stay boring and keep going to school?”

“That doesn’t sound like a win to me.” 

“You’re the one who likes school!”

“Man, I never said I like it, just that it’s not stupid! It’s important!” Billy exclaims. Trini blocks them all out as they bicker and continues eating her breakfast in silence when Kimberly suddenly pokes her in the ribs.

“What do you think, Trin?” She asks. Trini looks between the four of them, then shrugs.

“I think that I don’t really care.” 

“See, Trini’s on my side!” 

“She said she doesn’t care, not that she’s on your side-you know what, I will meet you in the Pit this afternoon, but just so I can kick your ass!”

“Oh, it’s on, Blue!” 

“My money’s on Billy.”

“Fuck you, Jason!” Trini blocks them out again, but she can feel Kimberly staring a hole into the side of her head. It isn’t long before she feels another poke in the ribs and she turns to see Kimberly staring at her with a frown.

“You okay?” She asks softly. Trini doesn’t respond, but she’s saved by the sound of her phone ringing, and she stands and walks away from the table, moving out onto the back patio before answering it.

“Hello?” 

“Trini, it’s your mom.”

“Everything okay?”

“Of course, sweetie. I was just wondering when we should expect you back home this afternoon.” 

“The usual. Around six.” 

“Oh, okay.”

“Mom, is everything okay?” Trini frowns. Her mother usually isn’t this formal when she speaks.

“Yeah, of course, hija. I have to go. I love you.”

“Yeah, I-.” Her mother hangs up before she finishes saying goodbye.

“Love you, too.” Trini finishes, looking down at her phone with a frown.

“Hey, is everything alright?” Trini turns to see Kimberly in the doorway to the patio, and she bites her lip before she walks into the house straight past her.

“I have to go.”

“What-.” Trini’s rushing up the stairs back into Kimberly’s room before she can finish her sentence, but she can hear the others following her. 

“Trini, what’s going on-?”

“Nothing. I just need to get home.” Trini grabs her bag and turns to leave, but Kimberly, Jason, Billy and Zack are blocking the doorway.

“Why? What’s happened?” Jason asks. Trini glares at them, then looks at the window.

“No, don’t-.” 

“I’ll call you later! I’m sorry!” She’s rushing toward it and jumping out of the open window before Kimberly can call her back.

Trini runs as fast as she’s ever run before, because something isn’t right.

Something’s wrong back home.

She needs to get home-

She comes to a stop in front of the house before making her way inside it.

“Ma?” She yells out, shutting the door behind her.

“Trini, thank god!” She walks down hallway and turns to see her mother jumping up from the living room couch.

She goes to run forward, but out of nowhere, a golden scepter is being raised to her throat, and she freezes.

“You know, Dee Dee, my friend...your family is quite...interesting.” 

Her voice, god, her voice...

Trini’s frozen. Can’t move, can’t think, can’t breathe...

Rita Repulsa steps out from behind the wall beside the couch, and Trini’s entire body goes cold.

Rita looks even worse than when Trini first met her. 

Her skin is almost molting, some of it sagging off her face, her golden teeth no longer there as her eyes glow green, but it sparks in and out, as if it’s on a different radio frequency and keeps blinking out of existence.

Her body is contorted, and it looks like every step she takes is painful. 

But all Trini cares about is the golden scepter raised to her mother’s throat.

Trini glances over at the other couch in the living room to see her brothers huddled together, looking beyond terrified and crying and her father on the floor, his eyes closed.

Trini can’t help the whimper that escapes her, but her mother yells at her.

“He’s okay! He’s alive!” She says, and Trini pays close attention, sees her father’s chest rising and falling, and lets out a gasp of relief. 

Trini doesn’t dare to move, and Rita’s eyes aren’t leaving her. Trini wants to ask her how she got out, how she got back to Earth when Trini’s pretty sure she bitch slapped her into another atmosphere, but Zordon’s words reverberate in her mind.

She can’t tell her family who she is.

“What do you want?” She says instead, surprised that her voice is quite steady despite the fact that her legs are shaking so badly her knees are knocking together. Rita laughs, then coughs and clutches her chest as she winces in pain.

“I want...the Zeo Crystal.” She manages to get out in between gasps.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Trini growls. Rita growls and the scepter is pushed against her mother’s throat. She cries out, and when Trini sees a trickle of blood, she yells.

“STOP, STOP!” 

“I want my Crystal, Trini.” Rita says, her eyes still not moving from Trini’s, who’s really starting to regret not letting the other Rangers follow her as panic settles deep into her stomach.

“Look, I’ll give you whatever you want, just don’t hurt my mom, please...” Her voice is shaking now, the last few words escaping her in a sob as Rita smiles and beckons her forward with a finger.

“Closer...come closer...” She sing songs. Trini swallows the lump in her throat and takes one step. When Rita doesn’t move or make an advance toward her mother, she takes another step.

She stops a few feet short from Rita, but she knows it’s over.

Rita snarls and rushes forward, and Trini can feel the hand wrapping around her neck before she’s thrown into the wall, and she groans as her back explodes with pain. 

“TRINI!” Her mother rushes forward, but the two boys run toward her and grab her shirt, pulling her back and crying out loudly.

“Don’t move a muscle, mom, or I kill your daughter right in front of your eyes!” Rita yells, spinning around and raising a finger at her mother, who shrinks back in terror before looking up at Trini in despair.

“I’m-okay-mom-.” Trini manages to choke out, but then Rita’s fingers squeeze tighter and pierce her skin and she cries out in pain as the world spins and she gasps for air. Rita laughs softly as her other hand caresses Trini’s face and she squirms away from her reach, but all it does is tighten Rita’s grip. She can feel the energy being zapped out of her body like lightning, something new in Rita’s arsenal.

She’s more aggressive than last time.

Probably because this time, the only thing she wants is to finish the job.

To kill her.

Her fingers scratch across Trini’s forehead painfully and she can feel the blood dripping down her face as she blinks blood out of her eyes. She tries to rip Rita’s hands off her throat, but even with all her strength and all of Rita’s weakness, she’s too powerful.

Sixty five million years compared to eighteen is nothing. 

Rita sniffs in, her eyes closed, and when she opens them, her eyes are wide and her grin is maniacal.

“Well, you’ve had quite the adventurous night, haven’t you, Dee Dee?!” Rita says, and she laughs as Trini sags against her weakly, her grip on Rita’s hands slackening. 

“What-.” Trini manages to get out, and Rita’s laugh only grows louder as more of Trini’s energy is zapped into her.

“Kimberly Hart, huh? How did it feel to kiss her, Trini? To feel your lips against hers? Did it feel like your entire life suddenly had meaning? Like your whole world suddenly made more sense? How long have you cared for her, longed for?” Rita laughs and Trini groans, looks over Rita’s shoulder and sees her mother looking at her in shock. 

Oh, this is so not how Trini wanted her to find out...

Rita leans in, her mouth right in Trini’s ear and she feels a shudder crawl up her spine.

“The Pink and the Yellow Ranger. I’ve seen that before.” She hisses, and then she’s lifting Trini off the wall and throwing her down to the ground. The back of her head hits the wooden floor and Trini sees stars as Rita leans in, teeth bared and nothing but anger resonating, green against terrified brown.

“You’re pathetic. I hope you got plenty of kisses in, Dee Dee. Because when I’m done with you, I’m going straight to Kimberly to rip her heart right out of her chest. And then Jason...and Billy...and Zack. All of your friends, one by one. But first, take me to the Zeo Crystal. If you’re good...” She strokes a golden nail down Trini’s cheek, a sadistic grin on her face as she taps her bleeding forehead with her thumb before she puts the thumb to her lips and moans, tongue licking the blood off and Trini feels bile rise in the back of her throat.

“I’ll consider letting you get one last kiss on Kimberly in before I kill you.” Trini’s heart is pounding against her chest, her body aching terribly, and Rita lifts her like a ragdoll, and Trini knows she can’t fight it.

She can’t morph, the energy almost completely zapped out of her body and she can feel her eyes beginning to darken.

It’s over.

“Now, why don’t we bring mummy and the little brothers along for motivation-?”

Trini doesn’t get the chance to protest. And Rita doesn’t get the chance to finish her sentence.

There’s a loud banging sound, and Trini can’t see them but she can hear them.

“Let her go!” Rita’s head snaps to the cause of the explosion and she bares her teeth.

“You’re one Ranger down!” She growls, and her hold on Trini tightens even more and she can’t help the cry of pain that escapes her. 

“Doesn’t mean we can’t kick your ass!” Trini groans.

Why does Zack always take the antagonistic approach?

Rita bulks suddenly and she moves Trini away from the others as if she weighs four pounds and Trini can finally see the others, all morphed into their armor, all with their helmets on, their faces obscured.

She looks at Kimberly, anyway. And she’s not sure why, but she can feel Kimberly looking back at her.

“Take another step, and I kill her.” Rita hisses. They freeze in their spots, and Trini’s vision swims before her eyes, the oxygen deprivation and the lack of energy starting to get to her...

“Don’t be scared, Trini.” The voice is soft, shaking slightly...

Her bottom lip trembles.

Kimberly...

Rita’s laugh brings her to consciousness slightly as she turns to look back at Trini with a nasty grin.

“Don’t tell me you’re all still obeying those rules? You’re telling me they don’t know who you are, Yellow?” She exclaims, looking over at Trini’s family, and Trini is so thankful that in this moment, her mother and brothers are too preoccupied with her stirring father to notice what she says. 

“How about I tell them?” Rita says, turning to look at her with a smirk.

Trini whines and attempts to shake her head.

Because she’s already told her mother one of her secrets, she can’t do this-

Something red flashes in the corner of her eye and suddenly, the pressure around her neck disappears.

Trini collapses to the ground and gasps in as much air as she can, coughing as her lungs squeeze and her head spins violently. She hears a loud bang before there’s a flash of black and blue and she turns to see a large hole in the back wall of the house. She groans and goes to stand, but then strong arms grip her and lift her up.

“Get yourself and your family out of here.” Kimberly says, and the poison in her voice makes Trini shiver, but she collapses against Kimberly before she can stand on her own two feet.

“I can’t...Kim...” She breathes, and Kimberly spins them around so her back is to her family, and her visor is lifted, and when Trini sees her face, she chokes on a sob.

Kimberly’s crying, her bottom lip trembling as she smiles and brushes Trini’s hair back from her face.

“You’ve gotta be strong, Trin. Come on. Your family needs you.” She whispers. Trini bites back a sob and grips Kimberly’s shoulder to steady herself.

“Kim?” She whispers.

“Yeah?” She whispers back.

“Kiss me.” She breathes. Kimberly whimpers and leans in, kissing her passionately, a soft moan escaping her before she pulls away and her visor falls down again.

“Go!” She says, pushing Trini lightly toward her family before she speeds out of the house through the hole in the wall to join the others in the fight, and Trini can hear the loud sounds and screams of battle, but right now she’s focused on her family.

“Mom! MOM!” She’s moving despite her head pounding and her slightly blurred vision, and her mother reaches out and grabs her.

“Trini!”

“We gotta get out of here, come on.”

“But the Power Rangers, they need our help-.” Her brothers start, but Trini shakes her head.

“They can handle it!”

“They’re short a Ranger. The Yellow one.” Her father says quietly, wincing as he clutches his head. 

“They can handle it. We have to go!” Trini hisses through bared teeth.

“Trini, are you okay?” Her mother whispers, brushing her hair back from her face and looking at the cut on her forehead.

“Mom, I’m fine, we need to go! Now!” Trini grabs them and lifts them up off the floor of the living room, and her parents both grab one of her brothers’ hands and drag them, running down the hallway and to the car with them.

“Go, get in the car and just drive. I’ll call you-.”

“What? You’re not coming with us?” Her mother says, her eyes widening as her father freezes from the car door and looks at her in shock.

“Trini, No seas estúpido, sube al auto ahora!” Her father yells, and Trini feels tears in her eyes as she shakes her head and steps back.

“The boys are right. They’re short a Ranger. I have to help them.” She whispers. Her mother runs forward and grabs her arms, shaking her lightly.

“Trinity Rodriguez, you are not a Power Ranger! You can’t help them! Get in the car!” She cries. Trini bites her lip and nods.

“Okay. Okay...” Her mother sighs in relief and jumps into the passenger side, and Trini goes to open the door to the backseat, but instead, she locks it and closes it in front of her. Her mother looks back at her with wide eyes.

“Trini! Get in the car!”

“Dad, get them to safety.” Trini says.

“Trini, you are my family, too! Get in the car!” He roars. Trini smiles sadly and shakes her head.

“Maybe one day I can explain. But right now, you need to go.” 

“Trini, if you think...if you think this is about what that woman said, I don’t believe her! Okay, I know she was just saying that to make us hate each other or something-.” Her mother starts, and Trini’s heart sinks as she shakes her head.

“This isn’t about that, God, just go! That woman can and will kill you if you don’t go right now!”

“WHAT ABOUT YOU?” 

“I’m gonna be okay! Dad...Dad, please...” Trini begs him, her voice shaking, and her father looks at her for a long time before he begins crying, and Trini is so taken aback she almost faints.

She’s never seen her father cry before.

He puts the car in reverse and backs out of the driveway, and her mother looks at him in shock.

“Alejandro, que estás haciendo? Qué diablos haces, parar! Parar, ahora, parar!” 

Trini runs back into the house as soon as she sees them round the corner, her mother’s screams still echoing in the street as she reaches the hole in the wall of the house and sees the others fighting Rita.

And losing.

Zack’s on the ground, groaning in pain and Billy is unconscious near him, his visor up and his eyes closed as blood leaks from his nose.

Jason and Kimberly are fighting Rita, but Kimberly’s on her knees, and Rita is inches away from stabbing Jason through the heart with her scepter-

Her armor appears on her skin before she can even think.

She can feel it taking over her body, forming and melding with her skin as the visor blinks over her eyes, and she feels a rush of energy surge through her.

She bares her teeth and runs forward, tackling Rita into the ground and Rita is so surprised, she leaves herself unguarded.

Trini punches her, clean in the face, once, twice, three times, four-

“Trini! Stop!” She’s about to punch her again when a hand grips her raised arm and she looks back to see Jason’s visor is pulled back, a look of worry on his face.

Trini pulls her visor back and glares at him.

“She almost murdered my family!” She screams.

“I know! But we need to take her to Zordon. He’ll know what to do with her.” 

“You said that last time.” Trini growls.

“Zordon will know what to do. Trini, we can’t risk her coming back. We need to know she’s locked away for good.” 

“Trini...” She closes her eyes at the sound of her voice, and Kimberly crouches down next to where Trini is straddling Rita and touches her exposed face as her visor falls back.

“Jason’s right. We take her to Zordon, we’ll know she’s gone for good. She can’t hurt us or you ever again.” Trini’s hands are shaking, the rage inside her building, and Kimberly strokes her cheek.

“You’re not a murderer. Don’t become one.” She whispers. 

“She’s not human.” Trini hisses, but she can feel the tears building in her eyes, can feel them falling down her cheeks, can feel her raised arm beginning to lower...

Kimberly grips her and pulls her off Rita gently, and Jason and Zack pick her up and hold them between their bodies tightly. Rita’s head sags forward, her body limp in Jason and Zack’s arms. 

“Billy?” Kimberly walks over to him and crouches down to shake him, and he groans before looking up at them with dazed eyes.

“Ow...am I dead again?” Kimberly chuckles and shakes her head.

“No, Billy. You’re good. Come on.” Kimberly wraps his arm around her neck and lifts him up, and Jason sighs and looks at them.

“Let’s give Zordon what we promised him.”

***********************

“It would appear you have done what my team never could.” 

Zordon is staring at them proudly, and Trini’s pretty sure that if he had a body and a human face, he’d be crying.

Rita is still unconscious, laid out flat on a table with bars surrounding it that Zordon tells them he’ll transport to another area of the ship that is secure.

“I’ve insured that no matter what happens to myself or this ship, Rita will not wake from this sleep. She’ll remain unconscious until the end of days.” He tells them, and Trini finally allows herself to relax when he says that.

“I know you wanted us to kill her...” Jason says, but Zordon chuckles, and all of them stare at him in amazement.

“You have shown your humanity by sparing her life. Your team is stronger than my team ever were, Jason. You are the better Rangers. And I could not be prouder.” 

“Thank you, Zordon.” 

“Now, go, get outta here! Celebrate! We’ve got a lot of preparations to make in terms of getting Rita in a cell that’ll keep her down for eternity.” Alpha 5 says, shooing them away gently. The others leave, but Trini pauses.

“Wait! Zordon...Rita said something to me...something about the Pink and Yellow Ranger before us, before me and Kimberly...” Trini says. Zordon’s smile fades and he sighs sadly.

“Yes...they were a part of my team. Lovers, and fierce, fierce soldiers. Ultimately, they died for each other, sacrificing themselves for the other to live...but Rita was cold. She killed them both with no hesitation.” Zordon says sadly. Trini feels the sorrow radiating off of him, and she nods.

“Right...thanks.”

“Why would she mention it?” Zordon asks. Trini hesitates, but he seems to catch on as he chuckles.

“Ah, I see. Sometimes, history has a tendency to repeat itself. In some aspects, it can be a good thing. I just hope that their doom is not your fate as well.”

“I hope so, too.” Trini mutters.

As soon as she’s back up on the cliff, Trini can see the sun is beginning to set. Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she pulls it out, thanking Jason under her breath for the umpteenth time that he bought them all waterproof phone cases on their first day as Rangers.

She sees eighteen missed calls from her father just as her phone begins buzzing with another call from him.

She sighs and ignores the call, then sends him a quick text message.

_I’m safe. You can go back home, but there’s a big hole in the wall. Can’t answer the phone right now, with the Rangers. They saved my life._

She smiles and presses send, and when she looks up, Kimberly’s standing in front of her.

She puts her phone away with a sigh and bites down on her bottom lip.

“Okay, I know I should’ve told you something was wrong, and-.”

Kimberly rushes forward, grabs her face in her hands and kisses her.

Trini’s taken aback by how passionate the kiss is, but wraps her arms around Kimberly’s waist and kisses her back just as fiercely, her heart pounding and her body still aching terribly as Kimberly pulls her as close as possible to her body, hands wrapping into her hair.

When she pulls away, Trini sees she’s crying, can feel her body trembling underneath her hands.

“Don’t do that to me ever again. God, she almost killed you...” She whispers.

“I’m okay.” Trini whispers back. Kimberly buries her head into Trini’s shoulder.

“Your family...are they okay?” She says, her voice muffled, and Trini strokes her back gently.

“Yeah...my mom knows I’m gay, I’m pretty sure.”

“What?” Kimberly looks up at her in shock and Trini sighs.

“Rita has this weird way of reading minds, and she read mine and kind of saw what we were doing last night.” Kimberly’s eyes widen and she bites her lip.

“So your mom knows about us?”

“Probably.” Trini sighs and Kimberly presses a kiss to her forehead.

“It’ll be okay.”

“Will it?” Kimberly hesitates.

“I...I’d like to think so.” Trini smiles and grips her hand, interlacing their fingers.

“I’d like to think so, too.” Kimberly smiles. Trini hesitates as they begin descending down after the boys, who are far ahead of them and whooping with victory over Rita’s defeat, because she’s not sure how to say what she wants to say.

But she thinks back to Rita’s hands around her neck, and the feelings she felt in that moment.

“Kim, I...I know I said yesterday that I needed time to think, but...but I don’t. I want this. I want us. I almost died today and the only thing I could think of was how stupid I was for almost letting you go. You’re...” Trini trails off, swallows the lump in her throat and Kimberly drags her to bring her to a stop as Trini turns to face her.

“You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me and I don’t wanna lose you. So if you’re still willing, if you still want me...I’m yours.” Trini smiles despite her nerves, and Kimberly stares at her for a long time, looking over Trini’s face as if she’s drinking her in...

And then she grins and leans forward and kisses her gently, and Trini is smiling against her lips as she kisses her back. When Kimberly breaks away, she rests her forehead against Trini’s.

“Ditto.” She says breathlessly.

When they finish celebrating their victory with over a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and the grumbling of every single employee there at how loud they are, they all make their way back to Trini’s house, all of them still grinning with their victory.

When they reach, Trini’s smile fades as she sees a few police cars parked outside and her heart begins pounding. Jason grips her shoulder tightly.

“Do you want us to go in with you?”

“No, they’re probably already suspicious enough and they can’t find out about us. I’ll be okay.” Trini says, letting out a deep breath.

“We’ll be right here until you tell us it’s okay to leave.” Jason says.

“Seriously? We’re just gonna hang out outside her-ow!” Zack yells, and Trini turns to see him rubbing his arm as Kimberly glares at him.

“We’re gonna be right here.” Kimberly reiterates, moving her glare and replacing it with a soft smile as she looks at Trini.

“Yeah, we’ve got your back.” Billy says, winking at her. Trini smiles at them all and wraps her arms around Jason before grabbing the other and forcing them to join the hug.

The five of them stay there for a while, and she can feel Kimberly rubbing circles into her lower back until Jason presses a kiss to her hair and lets her go.

“Go on.” Trini nods and turns, squares herself up, and heads toward the house.

As soon as she enters, straight through the doorway because it’s broken, her mother yells and runs toward her, barreling into her and hugging her tightly and Trini pats her back awkwardly.

“Mom-can’t-breathe-.” She manages to get out, and her mother lets her go as Trini coughs and smiles at her as a cop makes his way over to her, chewing his gum loudly and obnoxiously as he pops it and looks at her over his sunglasses.

“Excuse me, Miss Rodriguez? We’d like to ask you a few questions-.”

“Can this wait? I got attacked by some crazy chick and had the Power Rangers come barreling through my home, I’m kinda tired.” Trini says, sighing. 

“I’m sorry but-.”

“My daughter has been through a traumatic experience, her statement can wait, officer.” Her father says sternly. The officer stares her father down, but when he doesn’t budge for a full minute, the cop clears his throat and nods.

“Alright, well…I’ll swing by tomorrow and get your statement then, shall I?”

“Thank you.” 

“G’night, sir. Ma’am.” He nods at her mother and father before leaving through the exposed doorway.

“Trini, thank god.” 

Her father and mother hug her tightly, and then her brothers join the fray, each of them hugging a leg tightly, and Trini chuckles and gently nudges them off her.

“I’m okay, guys. The Rangers saved my ass, big time.” 

“You should never have gone back to help them!” Her mother hisses. 

“They were down a Ranger, I had to do something.” Trini lies.

“If that ever happens again I am dragging you by your hair!” Her mother growls.

“June, let’s just be happy that our Trini is okay. How are you feeling, hija?” Her father asks, brushing her hair back from her face.

“I’m okay. A little banged up and sore, but she didn’t cause any lasting damage.” 

“I saw blood...” Her mother says, frowning, and Trini nods hastily.

“Ah, yeah, she cut my head with her weird fingers, it’s somewhere in my hair, but it stopped bleeding a long time ago.” She lies again. Her mother sighs.

“Maybe we should take you to the Hospital to get a full check-up-.”

“No, I’m fine, mom. Honestly. That Red Ranger, uh, had this really cool thing in his armor that scanned my body for injuries and he said I’m okay, so...” Trini’s surprised by how many lies she’s coming up with, and her brothers both gasp.

“Cool!” They say at the same time. 

“Can we trust these Rangers?” Her mother says, frowning. Trini laughs.

“They saved my life, mom. I trust them.” 

“June, let her go get some sleep. It’s been a long day.” Her father says, wincing slightly.

“How are you feeling?” Trini asks him. He sighs.

“I’m alright. A concussion, apparently. But a mild one. I’ll live.”

“Good.”

“Trini, there’s...there’s something your father and I need to talk to you about. As soon as we put the boys down, can we talk to you about it?” 

Trini’s heart stops.

Better now than never.

“Yeah.” She breathes out. Her mother smiles, and she heads to her room, her head mildly spinning as she gets to her room and collapses on her bed.

Twenty minutes pass and Trini’s on the verge of sleep when her parents knock on her door and walk into her room slowly.

They’re silent as Trini sits up in her bed and watches as they sit on either side of her bed.

Her father and mother exchange looks of hesitation and Trini groans.

“Just...just do it, please?” She says, biting down on her lip. Her mother sighs and Trini can see her hand twitching, as if she wants to touch the cross on her chest before she says what she’s about to say.

“That woman...she said that you and...you and Kimberly Hart were...were kissing last night-.”

“What your mother is very badly trying to ask you is, is Kimberly Hart your girlfriend?” Her father says firmly.

There’s a lot of moments where Trini has been thankful for her father’s straight forwardness.

This is not one of them.

She can feel the blush creeping onto her cheeks, and when she doesn’t say anything straight away, her mother lets out a whimper.

“Mom-.”

“Trini, I want you to answer me truthfully when I ask you this, please. If you love me, if you ever cared for me a day in your life...answer me this one thing truthfully.” Trini feels tears flood her eyes.

“Okay.” She nods. Her mother hesitates.

“Trinity, are you gay?” 

She has been waiting for this moment for so long...

Trini takes a deep breath in and reaches out, gripping both of her parents hands in her own.

“For the longest...longest time, I sat in Church every Sunday and begged Him to change me. I begged Him to stop me, to make me normal, to make me someone my parents could love. I begged Him to let me get married to a beautiful man and have children and begged Him to do it even if it would make me miserable, because it would make you happy, and that’s all that mattered to me.” 

She can feel the tears falling, and she doesn’t move to stop them.

They need to know.

“I begged and I begged and every Sunday, He failed me. And it took me so long to realize that the reason He didn’t want to change me is because He made me in His image. He loves me for who I am, because He made me who I am. And I know, I know, that this is not what you want to hear, but...yes. I am gay, mom. And I have wished for the longest time that it wasn’t true, but those wishes are never going to come true. And now I see that who I am...is someone special. I am capable of love and being loved just as much as anyone else is. I see that now. And I love myself for who I am. And if you don’t...then I can handle it. But just...be gentle when you do it, please.” 

They’re silent for a long time. Her mother stares blankly ahead, her eyes not focused on Trini. But her father...

Her father is staring at her in confusion.

“Be gentle when we do what?” He asks. Trini lets out a sob.

“Wh-When you kick me out.” She manages to gasp out. Her father looks at her in shock, and her mother suddenly looks at her.

Anger is filled in her eyes.

“How could this happen?” She whispers. Trini’s heart sinks, and her bottom lip trembles.

“Mama-.”

“How could I raise my children thinking that they couldn’t talk to me about something like this?” She whispers, looking at her father, and he sighs and reaches out, gripping her hand tightly.

Trini’s in shock.

“I...I was raised to believe that it’s wrong, that it’s not normal, and now my daughter...” Her mother is crying, trying to get words out through her sobs and Trini doesn’t know what to do, just keeps saying her name.

“Mama...”

“You’re my daughter. And I love you. I love you and I would die for you, but Trini, I need you to understand...it’s a lot for us to process, hija. We need...we need time.” Her mother manages to gasp out.

“I don’t.” Trini looks at her father in complete shock.

So does her mother.

“Trini is my daughter. And we almost lost her today. We almost lost her-.” His voice cracks and tears spring to his eyes as he stops talking and swallows the lump in his throat. He purses his lips and shakes his head.

“I don’t need time. I don’t need time to know that you are my daughter and that the day you were born I made a vow to love you and care for you and protect you from anything this world threw at you. And today I failed. I ran like a cobarde while you remained the brave one-.”

“Dad, no, you were protecting the boys and mom-.”

“No, let me finish, please.” He brings her hand to his lips and kisses her fingers before he smiles and brushes her hair back from her forehead.

“I’m going to be brave. I’m going to brave and I’m going to say...that if God does not accept you, then he does not accept me. But I...I accept you. Because you are my daughter, and I love you. And I almost lost you today and I never, never want you to feel anything but love from me ever again.” 

Trini’s heart is exploding, her brain running at a million miles an hour, and she chokes on a sob and jumps into her father’s arms, hugging him tightly as he hugs her back and cries into her shoulder, rubbing her back and continuing to say he accepts her over and over and over...

When Trini pulls away, her mother is looking at them both with tears falling down her face.

“I...”

“Mama, if you...if you need time...take it. Please. I understand how hard this is for you.” Trini tries to push down her disappointment, her sadness, smiles through her tears as her mother nods and chokes on a sob.

“I want to...I do...”

“It’s okay.” Trini whispers, and she moves closer to her and hugs her tightly, and her mother cries and kisses her hair and pulls away all too soon...

She’s walking to the door and out of Trini’s room and her father grips her hand.

“Give her time, Trini. She loves you more than you know.” Trini simply nods, and her father leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Get some sleep. Today has been a long day.” Trini laughs breathlessly.

“You’re damn right.” He chuckles and leaves her room, closing the light and the door behind him.

Trini whips out her phone and texts Jason.

_Come up. Be quiet though._

Two seconds later, there’s a tap at her window and the four of them are huddled on the roof below her window.

She opens it and they all clamber in quietly.

Kimberly smiles and hugs her tightly, and Jason sighs.

“You okay?”

“Yeah...my parents know I’m gay now, so...”

“Oh what? How did that happen?” Billy asks.

“It’s a long story. It’s gonna be okay, I think. I’m...I’m gonna be okay.”

“Do you want us to stay here tonight?” Jason asks. 

“No, you guys get home. It’s been a long day, I’m not gonna have you sleeping on a lumpy wooden ground. Go sleep in your beds.” 

“Alright. Text us if you need us.” Jason says.

“Yeah, we’ll be right here in a heartbeat.” Billy says.

“Love you!” Zack pulls her into a bone crushing hug and Jason and Billy join in. When they pull apart, Jason looks at Kimberly with a frown.

“You coming?”

“I’m gonna stay with her.” Kimberly says. Zack waggles his eyebrows and Trini smacks him up the head.

“Why am I always getting hit?” He growls.

“Because you say stupid shit.” Jason says, rolling his eyes.

“I didn’t say anything!”

“Man, just climb out the window. See you, Trini.” Billy says. The boys clamber out, all of them waving as soon as they hit the floor, and Kimberly wraps her arms around Trini from behind and presses a kiss to her shoulder.

“How’d it go?” She whispers. Trini sighs.

“Dad said he’s okay with it. Mom...not so much.” Kimberly sighs with her.

“She’ll come along.” She whispers.

“I hope so.” Trini whispers back. She turns in Kimberly’s arms and smiles at her, and Kimberly leans in and kisses her gently.

“Come on, let’s get some rest. It’s been-.”

“A long fucking day. Yep.” She sighs, buries her head in Kimberly's shoulder.

"Did you know the Pink and Yellow Ranger on Zordon's team were a thing as well?" Trini says. Kimberly pulls back and looks at her in shock.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Rita, she...when she read my mind and found out about us, she said she'd seen it between the Pink and Yellow Rangers before. When I asked Zordon he told me they died protecting each other. He said he's happy that history's repeating itself but he doesn't want us to meet the same doom." Trini frowns, and Kimberly sighs.

"Well, at least we got his approval. That's two parents out of five." Trini laughs.

"Yeah, except one of them is a pixelated face on the wall." Kimberly laughs as well.

"Wall Dad."

"I fucking hate you." 

***********************

“Trini, I can’t help you if you won’t speak. You’re not alone, you know? I’m here for you.” 

Trini taps her foot against the chair again and looks up into the smiling face of her therapist. 

A middle aged white man with a shit eating grin on his face.

Trini thinks about it for a long time.

She’s got about five minutes left on her clock. He’s watched her in silence this entire time.

She smiles the sweetest smile she can muster.

And then she lets him have it.

“You and I both know that you don’t really want me to talk. That you’re perfectly content with sitting in silence for an hour because it means you don’t have to do your job and you still get paid for it. Because you’re a white man, and what you say, goes. The truth is, Doc, I don’t have anything to say. For the longest time I found it hard to talk to anyone, especially my parents, but the truth is, I don’t need your therapy. I don’t need anything from you other than that shit eating grin on your face to remind me that I...I am so, so much better than you. Because at the end of the day, when you go home to your fancy house in your fancy car, judging by the lack of a ring on your left hand, you’ll be all alone. Meanwhile, I’ll be going home to someone I love, knowing that no matter what happens, I’ve got someone by my side who will never leave it. So the truth is that no, Doc, I am not alone. But you are. And maybe the truth is that the person who should be sitting in my chair, is you.” 

The buzzer goes off.

He sits there, blinking rapidly, the smile gone from his face as Trini stands and shoulders her bag.

“Thanks for the time.” She winks and makes her way out of his office. Her father is waiting for her in the waiting room, and he stands as soon as he sees her.

“How did it go?” He asks.

“I don’t think your daughter and I are compatible, Mr. Rodriguez.” They both turn to see her Doctor staring at her stiffly. Trini grins, and her father raises an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“I suggest you find someone else who can...give her the attention she seeks.” And then he’s slamming the door shut in front of them.

“Jeez, what did you say to him?”

“The truth. Apparently he didn’t like it.” Her father stops in his tracks and looks at her sternly.

“What, is he a racist? A homophobe? I’ll kick his ass-.”

“No, Dad. Nothing like that.” Trini says, laughing. Her father frowns, then shrugs and leads her to the exit of the clinic.

“Your mother is making progress.”

“Yeah?”

“She told me this morning that she was feeling a lot better. Said that He came to her in a dream last night and told her to love and accept her family for who they are.” Trini rolls her eyes when her father isn’t looking, and he chuckles under his breath.

“Sounds a little loco, but hey, if it gets her to accept you, I’m all for it.” 

“So am I.” Trini says, grinning. Her father leads her outside and Trini comes to a stop.

Kimberly’s waiting for her, sitting on one of the benches, and she looks up as they approach.

“Hey! Hi, Mr. Rodriguez.” Kimberly waves at him, and Trini can feel the nerves coming off her as he raises an eyebrow at her.

“Five minutes. You know the rules.” He says.

“No kissing or inappropriate touching, we’re too young, I know.” Trini says, rolling her eyes. He gives her a thumbs up and begins walking over to the car, unlocking it as he goes.

“How’d it go?” Kimberly asks. Trini shrugs with a grin. 

“Literally didn’t say anything until the last five minutes to fuck with him. I think I made him cry.” Kimberly groans and grips her hand.

“Trini, he’s supposed to be helping you.”

“I don’t need help. I have you.” She says, grinning. Kimberly laughs and leans in to kiss her, and Trini steps back and looks at her father, who’s watching them from the car.

He rolls his eyes and puts a hand over his eyes before giving her a thumbs up, and Trini and Kimberly both laugh before Trini grabs her and kisses her fiercely. 

When she pulls away, Kimberly rests her head against hers, her arms around Trini’s waist as Trini wraps her arms around her neck.

“I’ll see you tonight?” She asks breathlessly. Trini closes her eyes and nods, and Kimberly leans in and kisses her gently. 

“See you then.”

“See you.” Kimberly goes to unlatch herself, but Trini squeezes her tighter and kisses her again, and Kimberly laughs against her lips before detaching herself. 

Trini watches her go sadly and makes her way to the car, but when she goes to enter the passenger seat, her father sighs.

“Get in the back.”

“What, why?” Her father rolls his window down.

“Kimberly! Do you want a ride home?” He calls out. Trini’s head snaps up as Kimberly stops in her tracks and turns with a grin.

“Yes, please! Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez!” He chuckles and waves her forward, and Kimberly runs and joins Trini in the backseat.

“One seat in between, please.” Her father says.

“Oh come on!” Trini grumbles. 

“Respect the rules, Trini.” Kimberly teases.

“See? Okay, I definitely like her.” Her father says. Trini rolls her eyes, and Kimberly reaches out and grips her hand, interlacing their fingers.

And Trini finds she doesn’t mind that this is all they can do for the moment.

Because for the first time in a long time, she knows exactly what’s in store for her tonight.

And none of it involves nightmares and glowing green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GET A HAPPY ENDING, AND YOU GET A HAPPY ENDING!
> 
> Thanks for sticking around guys! Comments are always nice! HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!


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